Former Symantec Marketing Director Indicted on Embezzlement Charges

U.S. Attorney’s Office
June 12, 2014

Northern District of California(415) 436-7200

SAN JOSE—Lena “Mickey” Jacobs Coombs was indicted yesterday afternoon on wire fraud and money laundering charges alleging that she embezzled money from her former employer, Symantec Corporation, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson.

According to the indictment, Coombs was employed by Symantec as a director of Marketing and worked at Symantec’s Lyndon, Utah facility near Salt Lake City. Between January 2010 and May 2012, Coombs allegedly used various methods to embezzle a total of over $1.34 million from Symantec. Coombs spent these embezzled Symantec funds on various personal expenses such as payments on automobiles, vacations, personal home remodeling, concerts, and childcare expenses. Coombs allegedly charged personal and other unauthorized expenses on the Symantec American Express Cards and then knowingly submitted fraudulent expense reports to disguise these charges as legitimate business expenses. Coombs also allegedly submitted fraudulent invoices falsely claiming that a shell company she had created had done marketing work for Symantec. Coombs then allegedly diverted the payments on those fraudulent invoices for her personal use.

Coombs, 47, of Highland, Utah, is scheduled to make her initial appearance pursuant to a summons in federal court in San Jose before the Honorable Paul Grewal, United States Magistrate Judge, on July 11, 2014, at 8:30 a.m.

The maximum statutory penalty for wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, is 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution. The maximum statutory penalty for money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957, is 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution.

Any sentence following conviction would, however, be determined by the court only after considering the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of factors, and would be imposed in the discretion of the Court. An indictment contains only allegations against a defendant, and, as with all defendants, Coombs must be presumed innocent unless and until convicted.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Fazioli is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Laurie Worthen. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.